The Beginning on the End
by SeventhSenses
Summary: With Voldemort gone, what will Hermione do now? One shot


AN: My first published fic, please read and review.

Hermione looked at the coffin before her with tears in her eyes. A single tear escaped and dripped to the ground. Slowly the tears were flowing freely as she looked at the grave of one of her dearest friends.

The coffin was slowly lowered as she stared at the grave stone behind it. It read 'Here lies Harry Potter, the bravest soul our world will ever know'.

Hermione couldn't help but feel sorrow, even though Harry had not wanted it. It was the last battle, the final chapter. Harry had been face to face with Voldemort as he forced Hermione to leave his side; he couldn't bear if anything should happen to her. She had nodded, knowing that this was something Harry would have to do alone. In a flash of bright light it was over in an instant. Harry was flung one way while Voldemort was flung the other. She had rushed towards him, only to find him cold; no longer alive.

One death eater had remained, as he instantly ran to Voldemorts side, only to find his body dead and cold, the last piece of his soul finally gone. Hermione had tears in her eyes then, but had forced herself not to cry, as a sign of respect for what Harry had done. 

She now stood there, sobbing next to the grave as dirt was spread across it. Ron was not there. Long before the final battle Ron had decided that he was on the loosing side, that Harry wouldn't win and that he needed to be faithful to the one who he knew would rule the world one day: Lord Voldemort.

Before he died, Harry had met Ron face to face in battle. At first he couldn't lay a hand on someone he had considered a friend for so long. Then he saw the slits that Ron's eyes had become, and that he barely recognized Harry at all. At that point, Harry had drawn his wand and stunned Ron. He brought him to the ministry and was sent to Azkaban. Hermione hadn't shed a single tear then either; the Ron she once knew was gone and replaced with a cold hearted bastard. 

The Weasleys' had been overcome with grief once Ron had joined the death eaters and had given up their magic, in order to live a muggle life and one day forget about everything. Hermione never saw those whom she went to Hogwarts with, they had graduated earlier that year and she hadn't spoken, nor gotten a letter from any of them. Not that she had expected more, Ron and Harry had been the only people she was really close with at school.

"I have no one," she whispered quietly to herself, "Everyone has left me behind…."

A sudden spell of dizziness washed over her as she nearly fainted, her legs giving out beneath her. Warm arms caught her and kept her from the ground.

She looked up and smiled at the pale face looking down at her. About the same time as Ron had joined the death eaters, Draco had run from them. As it turns out, Draco had only joined the death eaters on the order of his father, in order to protect his mother and himself. His father had gone mad and died is Azkaban, leaving Draco empty. He had looked upon what happened in his life so far, and only saw damage and destruction, both to himself and the people around him. The countless murders he had performed for the Dark Lord made him sick. He was immediately given special protection, and everyone was able to forgive him.

It was hard for no one to believe he was changed. A warm glow seemed to follow him everywhere and his eyes had turned a vibrant blue. A look of sincerity was plastered to his face and he actually smiled. Not the callous, taunting smirk everyone was used to, but an actual happy smile.

"You have me," Draco said, "I'll never leave you."

"You can't say that," Hermione cried as she straightened herself, "How do I know you won't die? And leave me here? By myself? Alone…."

"Hermione," Draco spoke softly, "Voldemort's gone. The remaining death eaters have been rounded up and sent to Azkaban. There's no one to hurt us now."

Hermione smiled for a moment, 'He said us…. He's never said us before….'

"How do you know someone new won't come?" she asked, "Someone worse."

"Hermione look around us," he said, "Close your eyes and feel it. The evil is gone."

Hermione closed her eyes and felt not a single cold breeze like there always had been before. There was just warmth, and good.

A new sensation flooded through her body as she opened her eyes, Draco's lips pressed against hers. She kissed him back and realized how much she liked the feeling, and not just him being there for her, but them being together.

When they finally broke apart Hermione spoke again, "You're right. Nothing bad can happen."

Draco smiled as she finally understood. It wasn't just that evil was gone. It was that they were together, as they would be forever. Through life or death they both knew that they would be there for each other, a shoulder to cry on, and a friend to rely on. Though they both knew they were more than friends.


End file.
